By Paul on Nov 15, 2017 (Edited )

If you want a short easy walk, the main paved loop is gently sloped and about a mile with a nice vista bench view.

For more of a hike, go left from the parking onto the dirt trails past the cabin. Head down toward and creek and you'll come out below Jenkinson Lake on the other side. You can continue all the way to Fleming Meadow on these trails, or cross the street to the lake. You can go as far as you want out and back (could make it up to 14 miles if you do the Fleming Meadow loop in it). Includes an interesting ancient car wreck (about 2.5 miles in) and the spillway for Jenkinson Lake (about 3 miles in).

There are two places to park. The main obvious signed and paved lot is on the east end, it only has 4 or 5 parking spots. Then there's a dirt lot on the west side of the paved loop that can fit more vehicles.

Read Full Article

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017 (Edited )

A fantastically beautiful rock-climbing hike down into the gorge. Up to 2 miles depending which trail forks you take. There are spots where you'll need to use your arms for balance or lift yourself between rocks. Descend carefully, this trail could be dangerous.

You can get down to the river level from the right (uphill) fork where the trail splits. Shimmying down a hillside from that trail can lead to another river access spot with sinkholes and miniature caves.

This area is more popular with rock climbers than hikers, but it's great for a short challenging hike. If you're not up to anything tough, you can still easily get to the first gorge overlooks with a half mile walk.

Parking is on the side of the road, just before a curve. The trail is very hard to spot unless you know it's there, you have to walk behind a road barrier and in front of a barbed wire fence at the start of the curve -- street view it first to be sure you know where you're looking for. There's also some parking on the opposite side of the road slightly north.

Read Full Article

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017 (Edited )

Includes an old movie set cabin. Links up with the south fork american river trail for virtually unlimited hiking length.

Read Full Article

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017 (Edited )

You can do this as out and back or as a loop. To make a ~6 mile loop, take the fork to the right that goes past the gate about 2.5 miles in. Larger loops are possible with later turnoffs.

Heading west from the Salmon Falls bridge, this trail winds along the side of the river at various elevations -- high above at first, then down to river level later. 8.5 miles one way to the peninsula campground, and continues on past that. Along the way there's plenty of nice river views. There's also some forks you can take along the way for variety, I believe they all rejoin the main trail eventually but haven't verified.

Significant portions of the trail are exposed to the sun, so not much fun in summer.

The early part of the trail can get a bit busy at popular times, with mountain bikers being especially common on the narrow trail. Be alert and don't have your ear buds in.

$10 paid parking lot, or gravel parking across the bridge or wherever you fill a gravel pullout without a no parking sign (free parking likely fills up early on weekends).

According to https://getoffyourgass.com/darrington-2/ "Levi Darrington was a pioneer of 1860 who had a 780 acre ranch in this area after he gave up mining and became a butcher."

When the water is low in the summer, you can combine Darrington with Sweetwater by crossing Hidden Bridge to make a ~6 mile loop. At low water you may also find some interesting historical structures: insuremekevin.com/hiking-a...-lake-in-el-dorado-county/

Read Full Article

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017

A mile loop with river access. The first half, including river access, is wheelchair-accessible. Well-maintained, though the gravel parking lot and the driveway to it are a bit bumpy. If you're looking for a flat walk to the river, this is it.

Read Full Article

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017

Convenient to the road. Lower Eagle Falls is right below highway 50, upper Eagle Falls is a mile or so up the trail. Tends to get really crowded. $5 parking in the lot, or park down the highway and walk in. Unfortunately the parking lot is often full leaving you no choice.

The main challenge is stairs. Lots and lots of stairs.

If you go all the way to Eagle Lake, it's a semi-loop but there are repetitive parts too.

Read Full Article

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017

Paved bike trail. Nice exercise stations. Highlight is the lovely Weber Creek Bridge at around the 1 mile point.

Read Full Article

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017 (Edited )

Starts from a nice big parking lot in Smithflat. Paved bike path heads east from here (the western trail is down the street a bit). Less than a mile walk to the freeway overcrossing where noise gets annoying but the view is nice. Quiets down as you get into Camino. Paved bike path turns to dirt in the final mile. Eventually dead ends at an interesting old shack in Camino, just below highway 50.

Paved part is about 8 mile out and back, full length is ~10 miles out and back. Surprisingly not very hilly for the area.

Read Full Article

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017

A nice unpaved segment of the El Dorado Trail that doesn't get a lot of use. Starting point features some train cars, and maintenance car rides on Sundays. Walk west along the El Dorado Trail from here toward Shingle Springs or east toward Diamond Springs, either direction will take you past various farms/ranches/animals. If heading west, an ideal destination is the railroad cut about 4 miles out (near the freeway at Red Hawk Parkway). If heading east, the trail stops at Walmart and then resumes again across the street.

Read Full Article

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017 (Edited )

There's no parking lot, but there's a wide gravel pullout just a little past the bridge where probably a dozen or more cars can safely park at once. Just go down to the tracks to find the dirt trail from there.

Head west towards Folsom and you'll encounter several nice creeks and bridges and minor dynamite cuts, hundreds of cows, views of El Dorado Hills in the distance, and lots of pretty wildflowers at the right time of year.

Head east toward Cameron Park and you'll get a few more trees, bigger hills, will wander through Latrobe and then a small cut.

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017

Convenient parking spot for the El Dorado Trail, and has some train cars with rides on alternate Sundays. Walk east about 2 miles to the cut, a lovely dynamite-blasted area, with the downside being it gets within earshot of the freeway for a bit. Walk west for a more naturey and hilly trail toward Cameron Park.

Read Full Article

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017

A paved bike path. Head east from the Mosquito bus station parking through a nice tunnel, an overpass, and onward to Smith Flat through some pretty greenery for a 4 mile out and back round trip.

Probably the busiest segment of the trail. Tunnel is nice and the memorial plaques are interesting but too many people and too much freeway noise.

Read Full Article

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017

Considering the effort required to get out to it, this is a mediocre lake. Might be better when it's fuller? Anyway, if you can stand the drive over the Mosquito Bridge or Rock Creek Road, this is a peaceful little spot. Probably better for disc golfing, camping or swimming than it is for hiking. Hiking is free, $6 day use fee for non-hiking activities.

Read Full Article

By Paul on Nov 15, 2017 (Edited )

Countless miles of different forest trails. Some short, some long. Some loops, some not. Mixed use with hikers, bikers and horses -- sometimes the mountain bikers can be awkward to encounter on narrow trails.

Be sure to check out the trail map on page 3 of the linked PDF. Trail 8 is a 7 mile loop, but 8A is a prettier short out and back to the creek.

These trails connect to the Cedar Park trails and the loop around Jenkinson Lake, allowing you to go as far as you like.

Read Full Article